Rural mailbox



J. C. MElLlNG RURAL MAIL-BOX Aug. 13, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.7, 1955 ATTORNEY INVENTOR JOHN C. MEILING BY {Q 55, 7

Aug. 13, 1957 J. c. MElLlNG RURAL MAILBOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept.7. 1955 :5 n 9 0 B43 J MINITO M 6 Q 4 W. I k #2 mvsmbk JOHN c. MI QILING7 BY $4) $5M ATTORNEY until the yoke lever is raised.

.form of a yoke enables United States Patent 0196,

"This invention relates to a rural mail box and the primary object is toprovide a rural mail box with the approved name plate extendinglengthwise along the top .of the box, having a front closure that may beswung and automatically maintained in a position above the box .topermit close access to the same and at the same time clear the nameplate. 1

Another object of this invention is to provide a conventionallyfabricated rural mail box with a flat front closure operable by aforwardly extending yoke lever that upon depression will lift theclosure above the box entrance and automatically hold it in elevatedposition A further object of the invention is to provide a rural mailboxwith a fiat arcuately swingable front closure that by a system of bellcrank levers connected in the h the closure to be elevated above thebox-entrance when the yoke is depressed below the box entrance and to beautomatically held in elevated position until the yoke is raised.

Still another object is to provide a'conventional flag signal for themail box that when manually raised is held in upright position but isautomatically dropped by cooperative movement between an end of theoperating lever and end of the flag staff when the lever is depressed.

still further object of the invention is to provide suilicientclearancebetween the swingable closure and box topwhen the-former is in elevatedposition to permit a name plate to be mounted lengthwise along the topof the mail box.

These and other objects of the present invention will appear as thefollowing description thereof proceeds, and in order to more clearlyunderstand the invention, reference may be made to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mail box in closed position with thesignal flag shown in raised position in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mail box in open position;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the mail box;

Figure 4 is a partial end elevation showing the box in closed positionwith the signal flag raised;

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4.

In the delivery and collection of mail in rural communities it iscustomary to mount a box on a post at the roadside accessible to thepostman and vehicle used in covering the route. Usually these boxes havean outwardly swinging front door or closure which makes it difiicult forthe postman to drive close enough to make collections and delivery fromthe vehicle. A desirable form of mail box is one that permits theclosure to be swung out of the way and so held when the collection anddelivery is being made in very close proximity to the open end of thebox. The present invention accomplishes this objective with the addedcooperative signal flag drop metal. A front closure 2 of similarPatented Aug. 13,1957

and top name plate and the assembly is approved f0 manufacture and useby the postal authorities.

The inventor is aware of the patent to Bowers "1,895,912, January 31,1933, which shows a lever, op-

erated front closure that is swung upwardly but the front closure iscurved and can only be held in open position by constant downwardpressure on the operating lever. The size of the box is reduced and theapproved top name plate could not be used with this structure. Broadly,a signal is released by the depression of the lever but this is beneaththe box and not the conventional and approved side signal flag'.-Another form of upswung closure is disclosed in the patent to Babcock2,684,197, July 20, 1954, but the closure there is hand operated anddoes not use a. forwardly extending operating lever and furthermore thetop name plate could not be used with this structure. e

' With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates aconventional rural mail box with a flat bottom, upright sides, an archshaped top and closed rear end. This is formed of any suitable material,usually material is provided that conforms to the cross sectional areaof the box and this closure is provided with a rearwardly extendingflange 3 overlapping the front edge of the box at the sides and archedtop portion thereof. Mounted on the top of the box and extendingsubstantially the length of the same is the postal approved name plate4. Extending rearw-ardly from the closure 2 at a medial point at eachside are parallel fiat arms 5. These arms are mounted on pivots 6 in theform of rivets projecting from the sides of the box with the outer endsof the rivets supported by .side brackets 7 and 8 secured to the sidewalls of the box. The pivotal connection for the arms 5 at each side ofthe box is adjacent the terminal of each and spaced slightly below theupper edge thereof.

The closure 2 is swung from a closed to open position by a yokedoperating lever 9 that comprises a front cross handle 10 and rearwardlyextending bell cranks '11 that run parallel with the sides of the box.Each bell crank is pivoted at its apex on rivets 12 extending from thesides of the box. The portion of each bell crank 11 from the pivot 12 tothe cross handle 10 is longer than the portion extending from "saidpivot to the terminals 13 of said cranks. The pivots 12 for the bellcranks are below the horizontal medial plane of the box and the bellcranks are of such a length and curvature that the handle 10 eachslidably and pivotally connected therewith by a rivet 14 carriedadjacent the terminals 13 and engageable in a vertical slot 15 in eacharm spaced below but in substantial verticalalinement with the pivot 6of each arm.

With the parts of this device arranged as shown in Fig. 1, when thehandle 10 is depressed the bell cranks 11 at each side of the box willrock on the pivots 12, and the slidable connection of the terminals ofthe bell cranks adjacent the lower edge of the terminal portions of thearms 5 described, being located below the pivots 6 of said arms willrock the arms on said pivots 6 and cause the closure 2 to move arcuatelyupwardly to an elevated position above the box as clearly shown in Fig.2. The bell cranks, arms and pivots are so proportioned and arrangedthat when the closure 2 clears the front of the box it is elevated inspaced relation above said box and is automatically held at the limit ofits swing upon full depression of the yoked operating lever 9. It willbe noted the slidable and pivotal connections 14 and 15 between theterminal portions of the bell crank extensions and arms 5 permit thisswinging of the arms on the pivots 6 to the secured trough portion inwhich the position aforesaid. Thus upon full depression of the operatinglever9 the handle portion'lt) is out of theway of the open front of thebox and the closure 2 has cleared ,the top name plate 4 on the box 1.

It is customaryandapproved to provide ruralmail boxes of this type witha normally raised signal that is dropped "when collection and deliveryhas 'beenrmade.

For this purpose there is provided .a flag 16 and flat staff 17 usuallyformed of metal. The 'statf 17 'has its lower end curved as shown at 18and adjacent thereto is'a longitudinal slot 19. The rivet 6 that forms apivot for the arm and which is supported by the bracket 8 extendsthrough the slot 19 and forms a pivotal and sliding support for thestair 17 adjacent the inner face of the bracket. Thi's bracket 8 has atrough like extensionZO secured to the side wall of the box andextending lengthwise thereof. Spacedfrom the trough portion 20 of thebracket and secured to "the inner face ofthe arm 5 is a stop 21. Thus aspace is formed between the stop and staff 17 may be positioned uprightwith the supporting rivet 6 at the upper end of the slot 19. In thisposition the lower end 18 of the staff is a'djacent'the nose of theterminal portion of the adjacent bell crank 11 and the statf 17 and flag16 are held in raised position.

As soon asthe closure operating lever 9 is depressed the nose of thebell crank 11 engaged with the lower end 18 of the staff will moveupwardly and forwardly and due to the slot and pivot mounting of thestaff described will lift and tilt the stafi and flag which when soreleased will drop in the trough 20. When the operating lever 9 is againraised the staff and flag may be swung manually on the pivot 6 to araised or vertical position when due to the slot 19 it will drop betweenthe stop 21 and trough extension 20 and will be held thereby in uprightposition.

The assembly described provides a very durable, practical and economicalform of rural mail box that meets the postal requirements .and has allthe advantages necessary for eflicient operation of a device of thischaracter.

Although the improved rural mail box has been illustrated and describedherein to a detailed extent, it will be understood, of course, that theinvention is not to be regarded as limited correspondingly in scope, butincludes all variations coming within the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mail box having an open front end, a flat closure for said end, ayoke shaped operating lever normally extending across the upper portionof the front of the closure and rearwardly along the sides of the box,the rearwardly extending portions of the lever being in the form of bellcranks with the apex of each pivoted to the sides of the box at ahorizontal plane below the cross portion of the operating lever,;fiatarms on opposite sides of the closure extending rearwardly along thesides of the box and terminating adjacent thecrterminals of the bellcranks, means for pivotally connecting the upper portions of said armsadjacent their 'terminals'to the sides of the box, and a cooperativepivotal connection between the terminal of each bell crank and the lowerportion of the adjacent arm in substantial vertical alinement with thefirst mentioned pivotal connection whereby the closure is elevated andautomatically held in such. position when the operating lever is fullydepressed.

2. A mail box having an open front end, 'alflat-closure for said end, ayoke shaped operating lever normally extending across the upper portionof the ,front of the closure and rearwardly along the sides of the :box,the rearwardly extending portions of the lever being in the form of bellcranks with the apex of each pivotedto the sides of the box at ahorizontal planev below the :cross portion of the operating lever, flatarms on opposite sides of the closure extending rearwardly along thesides of the box and terminating adjacent the terminals of the bellcranks, means for pivotally connecting the upper portions of said -armsadjacent their terminals to the sides of the box, and a slidable pivotedconnection between the terminal of each bell crank and the lower portionof the adjacent arm in substantially vertical alinement with the firstmentioned pivotal connection whereby the closure is elevated andautomatically held in such position when the operating lever isfullydepressed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSHarrison Mar. .30, 1954

